For decades, those at the top of business have been told to “fake it till you make it”, but communication and leadership expert Advita believes that advice is quietly eroding trust inside organisations and weakening leadership at a time when it matters most.
In her new book, Decoding Confidence: The Seven Habits of Confident Leaders (Practical Inspiration Publishing, 5 May 2026), she challenges the idea that confidence is something you either have or you do not.
Her message is simple: confidence is not a personality trait reserved for the lucky few, it’s a skill that can be developed, and this book will help achieve that.
Through her BELIEVE framework, Advita offers a practical roadmap for senior leaders, HR professionals and internal communications teams who want to build cultures rooted in honesty, psychological safety and accountability rather than bravado and image management. Drawing on real world case studies, practical strategies and a 30 day confidence challenge, the book shows how confidence can move from theory into daily practice.
Advita argues that performative confidence, saying the right things at the right times and playing the role leaders think they are expected to play, creates distance. It disconnects them from their teams and, often, from themselves. This pushes imposter syndrome underground, fuels burnout and makes open conversations about risk, inclusion and failure far more difficult than necessary.
Advita, former President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, says: “‘Faking it’ might get you through a presentation or Zoom call, but it’s not sustainable and people can feel the gap between the persona and the person. When that gap appears, trust starts to weaken. It becomes harder to ask for help, harder to admit mistakes and harder for anyone else in the room to speak honestly.”
At a time when organisations are grappling with burnout, polarisation, mistrust, AI acceleration and constant change, she believes rebuilding confidence is not simply a personal development exercise but a strategic priority.
She adds, “I don’t believe we have a capability crisis but from what I see in my work, I know we have a confidence crisis. Leaders are technically skilled but internally unsteady, and their teams sense that immediately. Real confidence is not about pretending to have all the answers or trying to fit into someone else’s mould, it is about leading with authority and courage without losing who you are and that is what I want people to understand and embrace.”
Juergen Maier CB, Chair of Great British Energy and former CEO of Siemens UK, wrote the foreword and comments: “This book is a fabulous way to help us reflect on our own leadership styles, whether learned accidentally or through clear intent. It offers very practical ways to explore, learn, practise and improve.”
Advita concludes, “Confidence allows leaders to say, ‘I do not have all the answers, but I am committed to finding them,’ and mean it. This book is for the leaders who are done with quick fixes and surface level development and are ready to build something steadier, deeper and more sustainable.”
For review copies, interviews or expert commentary, contact Natalie Trice via natalietrice@natalietrice.co.uk
Decoding Confidence: The Seven Habits of Confident Leaders
Author: Advita Patel
Publisher: Practical Inspiration Publishing
Publication date: 5 May 2026
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